Brands
Style takes flight as Shoppers Stop joins hands with Etihad
Retail rewards meet air miles in a loyalty tie-up linking fashion and flying.
MUMBAI: Shopping bags may soon double up as boarding passes. Shoppers Stop has teamed up with Etihad Airways to blend premium retail therapy with global travel rewards, in a partnership that turns style points into air miles. Under the collaboration, members of Etihad Guest will be offered First Citizen Club Platinum Aura Membership at Shoppers Stop, unlocking accelerated rewards, priority no-queue billing, extended exchange privileges, personal shopper assistance and curated benefits both in-store and online.
In the coming months, the relationship is set to deepen further. Etihad Guest members will be able to earn Etihad Guest Miles on their spends at Shoppers Stop, effectively converting everyday shopping into flight opportunities. For a retailer known for its loyalty-led growth strategy, the move marks a first-of-its-kind aviation partnership.
Shoppers Stop managing director and CEO Kavindra Mishra said the tie-up merges premium fashion with global travel aspirations, strengthening the retailer’s loyalty ecosystem. The First Citizen Club, one of India’s largest retail loyalty programmes, has long been central to Shoppers Stop’s customer strategy, and the extension of Platinum Aura status to Etihad Guest members signals a sharper focus on experiential value.
From the airline’s perspective, the alliance embeds Etihad Guest deeper into daily consumer lifestyles in India. Etihad Airways chief revenue and commercial officer Arik De described the move as a step towards rewarding members for everyday premium fashion spends while connecting them to flights to Abu Dhabi and beyond.
Etihad currently operates flights to and from 11 destinations across India, linking travellers to Abu Dhabi and onward to Europe, the US, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. As the Etihad Guest programme expands in the Indian market, partnerships such as this aim to make loyalty points less about occasional travel and more about daily living.
For Shoppers Stop, which houses over 500 premium brands across fashion, beauty, accessories, fragrances and home décor, the collaboration reflects a broader shift. Loyalty is no longer just about discounts at checkout; it is about access, aspiration and experience.
In a retail environment where differentiation increasingly hinges on ecosystems rather than aisles, this partnership ensures that the next time customers shop for a wardrobe upgrade, they might also be inching closer to a window seat.
Brands
RPSG’s Sudhir Langer exits days before IPL 2026
Timing sharpens focus on stake sale buzz and LSG’s tightening financial playbook
MUMBAI: RPSG ( RP-Sanjiv Goenka) Ventures has sprung a late leadership surprise just as the IPL drumroll begins. Sudhir Langer will step down as whole-time director and from the board effective March 31, days after the 2026 Indian Premier League season kicks off on March 28.
The timing is hard to ignore. RPSG Ventures owns Lucknow Super Giants, and Langer’s exit lands in a narrow pre-tournament window when operational focus is typically at its peak.
The move also coincides with chatter around a potential stake sale. According to a Moneycontrol report, the RPSG Group, led by Sanjiv Goenka, is exploring options to offload up to a 15 per cent stake in the franchise. There has been no official confirmation.
RPSG had acquired the Lucknow franchise in November 2021 for Rs 7,090 crore, among the highest bids in IPL history. The team operates under RPSG Sports Private Limited and carries a sizeable annual franchise fee obligation of Rs 709 crore through FY31.
Financials underline both scale and strain. The franchise remains heavily reliant on central revenue distribution from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. In H1 FY26, it received Rs 399 crore as its share of franchise rights, compared with Rs 458 crore in FY25, the single largest contributor to income.
Total revenue for H1 FY26 stood at Rs 495.9 crore, with profit at Rs 63.7 crore. Yet FY25 saw a softer showing: revenue fell about 20 per cent to Rs 557 crore, weighed down by fewer matches and a lower league finish in the 2024 season. Growth has since been modest, with H1 FY26 revenue rising roughly 3 per cent year on year.
That leaves LSG balancing on a familiar IPL tightrope: strong central inflows, volatile on-field-linked earnings and a hefty fixed fee burden.
With a leadership exit, stake-sale speculation and a new season about to begin, Goenka’s cricket bet is entering a decisive phase—where timing, performance and capital strategy will all have to click.
